When the Observatoire de Paris was founded in 1667, the French King called a well-known Bolognese astronomer, Gian Domenico Cassini (1625-1712), to Paris to be the observatory's director. He was followed by 3 generations of Cassinis in the position: Jacques Cassini (1677-1756); Cesar-Francois Cassini de Thury (1714-1784), who produced the first modern map of France; and Jean-Dominique Casini (1748-1845). Most historians refer to this great succession of astronomers simply as Cassini I, Cassini II, Cassini III and Cassini IV.